Been cycling for 5 weeks, raw shrimp, live sand (caribsea packed in sea water), running pumps and no lights...amonia spiked, started coming down, nitrites spiked hard and dropped to 0.4, just tested again and nitrites have spiked high again...my question is shouldnt the nitrites stay on a steady decline? Why climb, drop and climb again?
Cycle question
- Thread starter JKT69
- Start date
Thanks. Amonia spiked then dropped then nitrite spiked then dropped then nitrates spiked and nitrites dropped now as today amonia is 0, nitrates dropped to the lowest reading,which is 10, now nitrates are off the chart...so i should expect nitrites to drop and nitrates raise again? This is normal I assume.
You got your trates and trites mixed up there I think LOL (easy to do)
Your nitrites will drop and nitrates rise. Usually nitrates will not drop and you will do water changes to export the nitrates. The bacteria that convert the nitrates take a very long time to develop.
Your nitrites will drop and nitrates rise. Usually nitrates will not drop and you will do water changes to export the nitrates. The bacteria that convert the nitrates take a very long time to develop.
Most people think they're all "snake oil" I did add some, as it can't hurt, but whether it helps is doubtful.
Strange...nitrites rose then dropped and nitrates began rising, now nitrites have spiked and nitrates read at the lowest reading.
on the bacteria i was thinking since im using live sand and fake pourous rock adding a bacteria to help seeding maybe good. but i dont want to add stuff just to add it.
on the bacteria i was thinking since im using live sand and fake pourous rock adding a bacteria to help seeding maybe good. but i dont want to add stuff just to add it.
TylerHaworth
Active Member
If your nitrates are fluctuating substantially during the cycle I'd say you likely need to do a little better job of testing, or acquire some better test kits as there is no realistic way they could be dropping without your intervention... Other than that it sounds fine to me, nitrifying bacteria are mysterious little critters =)
Don't seed it and don't try to speed it up, just sit back and test (accurately) every few days until Ammonia and Nitrites are zero... Use this anxious time to research and research and research what livestock you want, what it requires, and what it is compatible with!
Don't seed it and don't try to speed it up, just sit back and test (accurately) every few days until Ammonia and Nitrites are zero... Use this anxious time to research and research and research what livestock you want, what it requires, and what it is compatible with!
TylerHaworth
Active Member
That is perfectly fine as far as I'm concerned, as it all depends on the decay rate in the tank which can fluctuate... Just keep doin what you have been - testing and waiting =)
LOL are you sure? J/K It's easy to get the 1 letter off.
Trites might fluctuate as some are being added (converted from ammonia) and some are reducing (being converted to trates) trates generally just rise, as none are being reduced until you do a water change.
Trites might fluctuate as some are being added (converted from ammonia) and some are reducing (being converted to trates) trates generally just rise, as none are being reduced until you do a water change.
Your getting close... great advise from Tyler & Steve above...
best bet right now is to add another shrimp, wait two days and start daily testing again, live sand isn't really "live" as we would consider a tanks sandbed, they add some bacteria to the package water. I could not imagine the smell that would come from a months old bag of real ocean live sand, it would be worse than a portopottie on a long weekend in the sun
